Ruth Jefferson has been a labor and delivery nurse for more than twenty years. She cares about her work, and she's good at it. So she's surprised when a couple requests that she be banned from touching their newborn child. Why? Because of the color of her skin. The parents are white supremacists and don't want an African American nurse. To Ruth's surprise, the hospital complies, and Ruth is reassigned to a different patient. Then the next day, while Ruth is alone in the nursery, the baby goes into cardiac distress, and Ruth has to choose the lesser of two evils: Does she obey orders or intervene?

I decided to start the "Finding Your Spark" series to shine a light on different types of people who are following various paths – their OWN paths, whatever those may be. The whole idea is that there's no single way to live life and a person doesn't have to be "famous" to inspire others. These individuals have found what inspires them, motivates them, makes them happy. And they've run with it.Find other posts in this series here.